Regarding Babymetal

Well done Japan, you've done it again. Only the eggheads at Japanese record labels could come up with something so off the wall that it works, when it really, really shouldn't, I almost wish Western record moguls would take a leaf out of your books and stop thrusting the same cardboard cut-out acts every few years!

But let's look realistically at this phenomenon, what is the draw? Is it the fact that it is different? Is it the marketing? Is it the fact it is mid-teens from a J-pop group doing metal? One thing is for sure, it is working, but for how long?

Having grown up being a fan of various exports of Japanese culture, I have enjoyed the likes of the anime boom, along with the ever present JRPG games like "Final Fantasy" and "Kingdom Hearts." By connection, I have listened to a lot of J-pop, and can appreciate it at times. I have always enjoyed its usually happy vibes, and how it's energetic and positive, and BabyMetal bring this into a genre that is usually laden with such bad stigma, a label very often declared terrible devil music, and somehow it works, somehow it reached millions of people worldwide, in both the amount of YouTube views it has gotten, as well as actually reaching into peoples idea of music and tearing it up completely. Quite simply, these girls are big, and quite frankly - they deserve it!

The future is something of great mystery, especially in the business of music. One day your band is huge, selling millions of records and selling out Wembley Arena, and the next you are back down to the small O2 Academy venues, playing to the strong following that stuck with you to the next album because they genuinely enjoy your music. But with BabyMetal, it is quite clear what the future holds for them...

... They won't be around for too much longer.

At least not in the form they are now. At a 14-16 year old age range, they are already near stretching the moniker of their name, they will soon not be children any more, and so the idea of BabyMetal must either be disbanded, or the girls replaced. While I hope it is not the second one, as that would be a sad picture of the music industry, I do foresee that it is a possibility. So, at least soon, BabyMetal will not be what we know it as now.

After this album and a tour of the world, the works will almost certainly be put in place to make a second album, and capitalise on what will soon be a dwindling popularity, and a bad sign for the dollar signs in the producer's eyes. After this the chances are they will be dropped from their label, and the members will have to make a decision.

If they enjoy it, will they continue? This is something that is still different to a lot of what is out there, so they will still have an audience of some kind, they will have to sign to a smaller label and play to their much smaller following, akin to how Maximum The Hormone are functioning now after their "Death Note" title songs fame came to an end, and would probably have to undergo a name change, but they can easily continue with a more J-pop infused metal sound, even maturing it up a little bit to fit the fact they are ageing.

Another option is they don't enjoy it so much, and once BabyMetal is over, they will go back to being J-pop stars, where they will probably find more commercial success. Which, if it happens, then good luck to them, they deserve to do what they enjoy rather then being stuck with something they may not fully understand.

I honestly think that the lead vocalist, the amusingly titled Su-Metal actually has a voice that suits the type of music, it can be light and jovial at times, while powerful and can push a good amount of emotion where necessary, and if she chose to, could have a decent career in J-rock. The other girls are still young and their voices still have a ways to go, so I can't really judge them, but who knows, if they want to, they could probably have their voices coached into the same place.

Whatever the choice is for their future, I say enjoy it while it is here, it breaks all genre conventions, but at the same time uses every single one of them to create something unique, and quite amazing. Hey, if you get a chance, try and see them live if they come to a town near you, I can only imagine it would be a spectacle, and one hell of an atmosphere to be present in.

This is the first piece I have submitted, if you don't like something, please let me know, constructively, I'd actually appreciate it...

Two examples of not seeing it for what it is: just fun music.
Contrary to popular belief, Metal doesn't have to be serious and groundbreakingly technical all the time. In fact, Babymetal are one of the few acts I can think of in a while that have just produced some 'fun' metal.
Take away the schoolgirl gimmick and pretty much all of their songs would still hold up instrumentally as some well written metal in some sub-genre or another.

I know what it is. I know it's not meant to be taken seriously. I know that metal doesn't have to be serious all the time (for the record, my favorite metal band is Tankard, so... draw your own conclusions). Save it for metal purists.
I just don't think it is entertaining, and all "babymetal" songs I've heard so far bored the shit out of me. That's simply my opinion. If you like it, that's perfectly fine.

Take away the schoolgirl gimmick and you got a band no one cares for. Sorry to put it bluntly, but that's my impression.
The bass player and drummer are from Blood Stain Child, and BSC did not have mayor impact, altough they produce really nice music, that sounds similar to Babymetal. Babymetal are good from a musical perspective, no doubt. But without the gimmick it would never have the followship it has, and most listeners do not really care for the exact musical arrangment. I'm fairly certain if the drummer only did 24/7 blastbeast the reaction wouldn't be much different.

I don't think metalheads, of all people, should be concerned with whether people care about a band or not, considering metal isn't exactly the most popular genre around. I think popularity is a really stupid criterion to decide the worth of a band. I don't see the point of your comment.

Ummmm..... every single kid I know, including myself as a kid? Now I do, and I enjoy it, because it's fun and exciting. The better question is "How many kids do you know that DON'T want to essentially be rockstars?"

Have to agree with iommi. "OMG so diffrnt nd uniqe" doesn't mean good. I don't care if their music isn't aimed at me, I don't like it.
The only thing worse than their music is the groups of people getting it in their head that the only people who hate this shit are "metal purists", and this isn't "BROOTAL" or "SRS METALZ" enough for them. What a completely stupid generalization.

Well, I doubt BabyMetal will be the next AKB48 or anything.
It's really just J-pop with an extreme-metal aesthetic, but it's catchy and cute and sort of exactly what I'd expect from J-pop.
I don't think the novelty is enough to ride out on, and though I think the music is there enough that they could have been recognized even without the image, and J-pop is nothing if not willing to bend genre barriers and jump on weird ****ing bandwagons.
Which BabyMetal song is it that goes into like, a hardcore radio-hip-hop breakdown? Something about wearing glasses?
Whatever.
The Japanese music market is weird to me. It's like the way we have athletes that are sort of taken on and trained and built their whole lives to get drafted later on, but with music.

It's really just J-pop with an extreme-metal aesthetic, but it's catchy and cute and sort of exactly what I'd expect from J-pop.

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS. They shouldn't be treated as a metal group, but pop with a "metal" flavor. Judging them by metal standards, or expecting metal going in, is just setting yourself up for disappointment. J-pop gonna J-poppinate, or something like that. Personally, I can't stand J-pop, but then I'm not the intended audience for stuff like this.
Now, if I can figure out how they hell they booked a tour with Chthonic (who are legitimate metal)...

1. Maximum The Hormone were around long before the death note anime
2. Baby Metal is whack and a resort for "metalheads" to listen to something soft and girly because the trend is broadly accepted in the metal scene right now. Although they're going to try and look open-minded, they just look stupid, as usual.
3. Widen your musical horizon so you don't have to listen to something as mind-numbing as this cross-pop shit that producers are trying to force down your virgin throats.

In regards to #2. there, I don't think you understand metalheads very well, man. Almost none of the metalheads I know listen to Babymetal, except when they want to laugh at the stupidity of it. Which is fine, because the band is meant to be a joke really.

People tend to use these terms for insincere, convoluted reasons. They feel superior listening to a genre and it gets annoying. It's just a stupid label in general. That's akin to a person saying they have a strong affection to dogs and are therefore more humanitarian than anyone else. Shut the **** up.

Yeah, the only one who seems like they have a superiority complex is you.
Nothing you said makes sense whatsoever, and we're all worse off for reading it. Where the **** are you seeing all Fans of specific genre's claim they're better at then the rest of humanity!? (and better at ****ing what? Life in general?) They're 100% defined, as that's what a "label" is, a definition.That's not a kin to your "dog" metaphor, mainly because nothing there makes any ****ing sense. Jesus shit, you're stupid.

Woah Boss, I'm just stating my humble opinion, it's a lot like: if the hat fits you, put it on ma boi type o' shit you feel me ? Don't pretend you've never seen a whack ass boi being all high on his beat and becoming just a lil' douche about it.
By the way I'm classy and superior to you, most defo.

@Campbell22:
Or maybe they just like a certain genre. You seem to vastly misunderstand most metalheads. Yes, as with everything, there's always a few idiots who do act superior. But most metalheads are just humble, regular people who happen to enjoy metal. /shrug

I don't think they're just catchy. If you wipe your head's prejudices, you can heard that there is actually some talent in the band. The drummer has a very good speed and technique, and the guitars aren't a joke too. Obviously, the concept behing BabyMetal is purely commercial, but you can't simply deny that they have a lot of talent to keep up with some more serious project.

I really enjoy Babymetal because it's interesting, weird and different. It's also quite fun to play on guitar. I tabbed out two of their songs, and it wasn't easy. The musicians in the band are really talented.
I understand that "true" metalheads are hating it because they probably think it's pissing on the metal genre, but I look at it the other way. Babymetal are getting people that might not listen that much to metal interested in heavier music. Maybe after discovering Babymetal they listen to Metallica (Babymetal did a Metallica promo), which can lead to them discovering Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Iron Maiden etc.
I'm all for it! I hope they grow bigger and bigger. Which by the looks of it they are. They are playing Sonisphere UK this summer.
Their live performances look awesome as well. Those 3 girls have more energy than a lot of more established "real/true" metal bands. I think this is a breath of fresh air for the genre.
[b]Regarding them not being around much longer. [i]
"At least not in the form they are now. At a 14-16 year old age range, they are already near stretching the moniker of their name, they will soon not be children any more, and so the idea of BabyMetal must either be disbanded, or the girls replaced."
Them getting older should't be a problem. At least I hope not. The bandname is based on the music. "Baby" stands for being newborn, a new genre. I think it was just a coincidence that it matches them being young. I hope this band sticks around for a while.

I;m usually just paying attention to the instrumentals, I love the lead work it's very interesting. Some songs are like Power Metal, some are thrashy, some are metalcore, it's cool what the band comes up with.

Well of course it's not going to last long. I don't think it ever tries to paint itself as anything other than a fad, but hey, someone tried it and it worked. Good for them. Maybe the girls will move onto other things, maybe they won't, that's more up to them. I haven't been very into them personally.

Tbh, I don't even get how it works for most people either. I mean, I get Gangam style, I get the attraction to asian music, I like enough Japanese metal bands (X-Japan, Church of Misery, Sabbat, Boris) to know Japan knows their shit, but none of those asian musical elements correlate with the metal they use in baby Metal.

You asked for criticism on your article, well it's too long for the subject matter. Also there isn't really any direct purpose, you kind of say they are great and going to get spat out, is that it? Maybe just stick to "hey if you haven't already go and check this band out, and by the way here are some examples of cool songs". Good effort though, at least you are keen and your writing is more legible than a lot of drivel found on the net these days.

You know what, I am a little bit, I must admit, I am always looking to get better at this, so criticism is welcome, constructively.
It isn't so much "Hey check this band out", I mean, that's been done to death already, it's about how something that is popular is fickle, and will be cast aside as soon as numbers dwindle. A harsh reality!
Thanks dude, thanks for actually being constructive! It was a deliberately fairly controversial topic, so I expected a barrage of hate for it, but it's not like I take it personally, so skin of my nose, and it worked in getting me my first piece online, so only positives in my eyes!
I'd like to do more regular posts, but I find it hard to get the brainwave to do something like this, I find it hard enough writing essays for college, so I don't think it will be too often!

All these people pissing and moaning about babymetal, have you ever thought that maybe it's not really aimed at you. The way I see it they are a kids band. I'd rather my kids listen to babymetal than listen to ****ing bieber.

well duh...but like fk i'd let my kids listen to this shit anyways...they're better off listening to real metal, not this fake glammed-up pop metal, created by a production company for the sole purpose of taking their money and rendering them into mindless retards or future pedophiles.

It almost sounds like he's saying Maximum The Hormone were only popular for their Death Note song, and have since lost that popularity. I sincerely hope that's not what he meant, as that would be flat out wrong.

Oh jesus, God no sir, just saying they gained a popularity from it, which gained them some more real fans in the long run, and it ultimately brought them to England for the first time, which i am very thankful for.
It's just that peak period that some bands go through. Which is great because the more fans these bands get, the more likely they are to visit somewhere outside their norm, which I am all for, I'd love to see a lot of bands I like at least once, but due to the fact that they aren't popular in England, which is oversaturated with rubbish like One Dimension, they don't come and play very often.

personally i thought the music itself was pretty good. the vocals were ok. what annoyed me is the younger girl repeating that same "nami" sounding word in her high pitched voiced in both of the songs i heard.

Such a sad time we live in when someones musical creativety must be overlooked by people who only see and obviously dont listen to the music... if you truly dont like a band either find something you like about them or dont listen to their music. Also i recall the writer asking for critique on on his writing and not your opinions about the band.

To respond to the "Dwindling audience" bit, maybe the international audience will shrink down, but don't underestimate the Japanese market. I've lived in Japan for a while, the idol groups are the biggest portion of all music there. There's idol groups based on prefectures or islands, etc. that are being sponsored. People pay a lot of money to get a meet and greet, the CD's that they sell are more based on artwork (meaning pictures of cute girls in lolita dresses) than on music; they just make 5 special editions out of one full album. I think they're gonna stick around, at least in Japan.